Field of Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for substrate processing, and more particularly to a method and system for controlling plasma performance.
Description of Related Art
Plasma processing systems are used for etching substrates to form microelectronic or micromechanical devices. Plasma processing systems generate plasma by ionizing gases in a plasma processing chamber. Ionization is accomplished by exposing the gases to electromagnetic energy. Conventional hardware and processing techniques may result in non-uniform distribution of ions or plasma density across the substrate. Furthermore, conventional systems may not provide sufficient plasma density under certain processing conditions or with certain plasma gases.
Plasma stability is a factor in maintaining plasma distribution uniformity and plasma density profiles. Conventional hardware and processing techniques do not provide sufficient mechanisms for responsive control of plasma stability. The problem of plasma stability may be exacerbated with use of certain etch gas chemistries, in certain system architectures, or in certain applications. Prior systems are ill-equipped for providing consistently stable plasma fields in such circumstances. Consequently, product quality and throughput may be compromised.